Grant would pay for plumber and electrician training in Llano
Classes for electricians and plumbers would be two nights a week at the Llano County Community Center, 2249 RR 152 West in Llano, with funding from a $350,000 grant. Courtesy photo
Classes to train plumbers and electricians could begin as early as Aug. 1 in the city of Llano, contingent upon Workforce Network Inc. receiving a $350,000 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board through Central Texas College. The grant will be announced June 30.
Classes would be from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday at the Llano County Community Center, 2249 RR 152 West in Llano.
Through a partnership with Central Texas College, Workforce Network already teaches certification classes for electricians and plumbers in Marble Falls and will continue to do so, said Gail Davalos, a representative of the nonprofit, during the Llano County Commissioners Court meeting June 13.
“We’ve heard complaints that we have under-represented the city of Llano,” she said. “At the request of the (city of Llano) Economic Development Board, we want to establish the program in your county to give your residents better access, but we need a facility.”
Workforce Network also needs to have everything in place before the grant announcement, which is why Davalos and Fay Crider, the network’s president, came before the Commissioners Court seeking permission to operate out of the community center.
“Under this program, we are working with existing apprentices and people in the public who want to enter the trade,” Davalos said. “Apprentices must be employed by a master plumber or electrician.”
“It’s a wonderful idea and desperately needed,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke, who is a former member of the Workforce Network board.
Commissioners voted to approve use of the community center with the caveat that all contract details be worked out with the Llano County Attorney’s Office. The contract will be good through June 30, 2023.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story referred to Workforce Solutions of Central Texas as a partner with Workforce Network Inc. WNI is in partnership with Central Texas College to bring electrician and plumbing classes to Llano. Also, Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke was named as a member of the Workforce Network Inc. board. She left the board about six months ago, according to WNI President Fay Crider. Raschke was still listed on the WNI website as a board member at the time this story was published.
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It sounds like there are great opportunities happening in Llano County. But I needed to clarify that Workforce Solutions of Central Texas is not a part of this partnership. Most likely it is Rural Capital Area Workforce Solutions since Llano County is part of their development area. Thank you.